This invention relates to the control and transfer of energy, and, more particularly, to the efficient control and transfer of energy from solar and fossil sources.
Energy is available from a variety of different sources, but the extent of the availability, and its cost, are variables. The solar energy that is plentiful on a hot summer day ceases to be available in the evening. Residual crude oil which was once plentiful, is now in short supply at comparatively high cost. Other fuel sources are variously available according to existing political and economic conditions.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide for the use of energy from alternative sources. Another object is to make efficient use of energy from a multiplicity of sources.
One of the most important sources of energy has been the sun. Solar energy not only is often available in great amounts, it usually is at the doorstep of the potential user, and it is not subject to the same kinds of economic and political restrictions often found with other energy sources. The difficulty is that the sun is not always available.
Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to make use of solar energy, without complete reliance on it. A related object is to integrate solar energy into an overall energy system.
A common and widespread use of energy has been for industrial and household temperature control of air and water. Attempts have been made to use solar heating for one or both of those purposes with limited success.
One approach has been to use parallel systems. When the solar system failed or was out of operation, a co-existing fossil fuel system was employed. Aside from the needless duplication of equipment, such a system is wasteful of fuel and inefficient.
Another approach has been to use solar energy to heat water in a storage tank, with the water pumped from storage to one or more auxiliary heaters, e.g., one for heating and another one for hot water supply. This procedure fails to make efficient use of the solar energy and does not satisfy the usual priorities imposed on a heating system. There is even less efficiency if the storage tank is heated by fossil energy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to make efficient use of solar energy. A related object is to make efficient use of solar energy in a system employing one or more alternative energy sources.
Another object of the invention is to avoid the unnecessary dissipation of solar energy. A related object is to organize a heating system in a way which enhances the solar heating effect.
A further object of the invention is to coordinate solar heating with heating from other sources to provide a desired overall result.
Still another object is to employ solar heating in a system which is nevertheless able to satisfy the usual priorities of a modern heating system.